Manufacture of aluminum chloride



G. w. GRAY MANUFACTURE OF ALUMINUM CHLORIDE Filed NOV. 23 1921 INVENTOR A A TTORNEV Patlented Oct. 21, 1924.

UNITED STATES eEoneE w. GRAY, on

PATENT QFFIQEQQ.

NEW YORK 1v. Y.. nssrenon To THE TEXAS COMPANY. on NEW Yemen. Y. A CORPORATION or TEXAS.

MANUFACTURE OF ALTTMINUM CHLORIDE. 1

Application filed November 23, 1921. Serial No. 517, 1 62.

accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates to the production pf anhydrous aluminum chloride and hasspecial referenceto a process and apparatus adapted for the continuous production of. alumi' num chloride in relatively large quantities In accordance with my invention, the materials employed in the reaction for the production of the chloride are prepared in situ and are continuously introduced into the main reaction chamber preferably-in a preheated condition so that in the practice of the invention the advantages of economy in fuel as well as the continuity of operation are effected.

One phase of the invention includes the utilization of the waste heat from the main reaction chamber for supplying the heat re quired in the preliminary reactions and in preparing materials for the 'main reaction.

The invention is adapted to be used in connection with various reactions for the production of aluminum chloride. It is particularly applicable however, to that method of operation in which an aluminous substance and a reducing agent are reacted with chlorin or other chlorinating agents for the production of aluminum chloride, and in the following detailed description of the invn tion reference is specifically made to that particular reaction.

I will now proceed to give a detailed description of the invention, reference being had to the single figure of the accompanying drawings which is a sectional elevation of an apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention and constituting an embodi ment thereof.

The apparatus comprises in general, a coking oven A, a chlorin generating appara: tus B, and a main reaction apparatus C'.

The apparatus C is adapted for carrying on the main reaction for the production of the aluminum chloride and includes a retort '10 of suitable refractory material, arranged within: a furnace 11 having a combustion chamber 12 by which hot gasesare supplied to the tortuous passage formed by the checkered brick work about the retort; The spent gases leave the furnace by means of a l-inc 1Y3. The'aluminum chloride vapors generated in the retort are conducted throughca, vapor line 14 to a suitable condenser and receiver. The-materials for the reaction are supported in the retort by means of a grate 15 which permits the spent material to pass out through an outlet or extension 16 into a pan 17. The pan is preferably arranged to be rotated in any suitable manner and a plow 18 is provided which is arranged to scrape the-material in the pan to a predeterminezfl depth so that the excess ash may be continuously discharged from the pan, there being. however, suflicieut ashrelnaining to farm a seal preventing either the ingress or egress of vapors to or from the retort, v

It is generally desirable to coke the alumina-oarbon mixture before introducing it into the retort and to perform this process continuously the coking and preheating mechanism A is provided. This apparatus consists of a fine or chamber 19 in which i mounted a conveyor 20 adapted to receive material froma hopper '21 at one end ofthe chamber and to deliver the material after it has been coked to the other end of the cha1nber. Hot/gases derived from any suitable source may be supplied to the conveyor by means of a nozzle or disihargc pipe 2L If desired, the outlet pipe 21 may be in (0111- munication with the flue 13 so as to carry waste gases from the furnace 11 to the oven'-19..- v I The coked product may be removed from the conveyor by any convenient means such as a scraping mechanism 22. and the productdischarged into a hopper 23 after having plied With hot gases from the furnace 11 by means of the flue 13. A plurality of stills or reaction vessels 26 are mounted within the heating chamber. It is desirable to have.

more than one reaction chamber so that chlorin gas may be continuously generated and supplied to the retort without interruption.

The apparatus illustrated is adapted for the production of chlorin by means of the [5 reaction obtaining between hydrochloric acid and manganese. Each reaction 'chamber is provided with a cylinder 27 depending into the chamber and adapted to be charged with manganese through a charging tra door to 28.. The hydrochloric acid is supp ied by pipe 29 having a plurality of valve branches 30 which extend to the respective reaction chambers. The chlorin gas generated flows through the valved outlet lines'32 and 33,

15 bylwhich the gas is delivered to a drying tower 34. The tower contains contact material and is supplied with sulphuric acid by means of a spray 35. The acid is drawn off by a pipe 36' and the dried chlorin gas so enters a pipe 37 by which it is delivered to the retort 10.

In carrying on the process the alumina containing material after having been preheated and coked in the oven 19 is su )plied 2&3 as ma be desired to the retort 10 while the hot ry chlorin gas delivered from the chlorin producer is continuously passed into the retort. The furnace 11 is so fired that suificient heat for the reaction may be imea parted to the retort and the spent gases are elivered to the reaction vessels 26 thereby supplying the heat necessary for generating the chlorin gas.- If desired, hot gases may also be drawn from the fine 13 to supply the heat necessary in the coking operation so that the preheating and coking of the alumina-containing material as well as the production of the chlorin for the main reaction is carried on by means of Waste heat derived 40 from the chlorinating step.

Apparatus of preferred form and construction has been illustrated and described for the purpose of showing a way in which this invention may be practiced, but the inventive thought upon which this application is based is broader than this illustrative embodiment. It is therefore understood that the scope of the invention is not to be limited ,by the present disclosure, reference being at had to the appended claims for that purpose.

What is claimed is z 1. In apparatus for the manufacture of aluminum chloride the combination of an aluminum chloride retort, a furnace for supplying high temperature heat thereto, a

chlorin producer arranged to discharge into the retort, and means for supplying lower temperature heat from said furnace to the chlorin producer.

2. In apparatus for the manufacture of aluminum chloride the combination of an aluminum chloride retort, a furnace for supplying high temperature heat thereto, a chlorin producer arranged to discharge into the retort, an oven and conveyor for preparing solid material for the retort and discharging it therein, and means for supplying lower temperature heat from the retort to the chlorine producer.

3. In apparatus for the manufacture of aluminum chloride the combination of an aluminum chloride retort, a furnace for supplying high temperature heat thereto, a chlorin producer arranged to discharge into the retort, an oven, a conveyor contained in said oven and adapted to transmit through the oven solid material to be coked, means for transferring the coked product from the oven to the retort, and means for supplying lower temperature heat from the retort to the producer and to the oven.

4. The process of making aluminum chloride which comprises maintaining alumina-carbon materials in a retort, generating hot gases and applying them at a high temperature to the retort to heat the contents thereof, withdrawing gases used in thus heating the retort and applying them at a lower temperature-to a chlorin generating apparatus, introducing materials into said apparatus for reaction to form chlorin gas and conducting said chlorin gas to said retort.

5. The recess of making aluminum chloride w ich comprises generating hot gases and applying'them to a retort to heat same, withdrawing a portion of the spent gases used in thus heating the retort and applying them to an oven, passing aluminacarbon material through said oven so that 1 0 said material is coked by the heat of said gases, introducing the coked product into the retort, withdrawing another portion of the spent gases and applying them to a chlorin generating apparatus to heat same, admitting into said apparatus materials adapted to react to produce chlorin and conducting said chlorin into said retort.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of November, 1921.

GEURGE W. GRAY. 

